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Monday, August 20, 2012

FAREWELLS AND MIRACLES

We have had the pleasure of working with Elder and Sister
Sanders, a senior missionary couple who accepted a humanitarian assignment here
in Tonga. Last March, we were a
bit amazed (but not really surprised) when these two volunteered to take on a
second assignment, that of inspecting, supplying and maintaining the 50+ little
buildings called missionary quarters, where the young missionaries live
here.

Elder Sanders always wanted to get up-close and personal. Here he is inspecting a village water tank.

Sister Sanders knew better than to try to climb the water tank ladder in a long skirt!

Well, the bad news is that Elder Sanders has developed some
serious medical issues, and they have been sent home to Washington State. There is a hole in our hearts, but we
know that because of the events that have happened in the last week, the Lord
has more in mind for this fine man and his wonderful wife.

Because of the limited medical care here in Tonga, the area
supervisors flew Elder and Sister Sanders to New Zealand for a hospital stay
and screening, to diagnose his trouble.
Our mission nurse, Sister Johnston, had been trying to get Elder Sanders
to New Zealand for weeks, but he kept postponing the trip because of this
project or that. But when Elder
Johnston got an abscess that would not respond to antibiotics, he was put on an
urgent evacuation to New Zealand, and the mission president told Elder Sanders
(and his wife) to go, too. Tickets
were purchased Friday evening for the flight to Auckland Saturday morning.

One of their few days off, at the beach.

While waiting in the airport in Tonga, the four missionaries
met an LDS American couple who explained they had brought their adopted child,
Tongan by birth, to meet his birth mother and experience some of the culture
that was his heritage. A pleasant
conversation ensued, then everyone got on the plane and thought nothing more of
the encounter. They should have.

Arriving late in the evening, the missionaries decided to
wait until morning to arrange treatment.
The next morning they found themselves at a nearby hospital emergency
room, and the admitting doctor tried to explain that patients were not admitted
on Sundays. Then the supervising doctor
came in to see what was going on.
The supervisor was, of course, the man the missionaries had met in the
airport. Turns out he works at
three different hospitals, and “just happened” to be on duty at this particular
hospital that morning. Both men
were quickly screened, and Elder Sanders was admitted as an inpatient. Miracle
#1: check.

That evening, Elder Johnston found his abscess had begun
draining. This abscess, which had
been in danger of going systemic and causing serious bodily harm within hours,
simply began draining, once Elder Sanders was admitted. Miracle #2: check.

Elder Sanders’ prognosis is good. The specialist in New Zealand has a brother who is exactly
the kind of doctor Elder Sanders needs; and he just “happens” to practice in Elder
Sanders’ hometown. The Sanders,
who started their journey home on Monday, had two appointments with doctors
before they even got on the plane, and medical coverage assured from the
Church. Miracle #3: check.

The Sanders live in a rural area, and with the coming
recovery period, Sister Sanders worried that because of the needs of their
home, Elder Sanders would ignore doctors’ counsel to limit his activities. Elder Sanders is a worker; he cannot
sit for any length of time – he needs to be up and doing. But Sister Sanders is very aware that
in order for her husband to heal completely, he has to follow medical advice
and avoid strenuous activity for three months. Not easy for a man who has worked his own land and been a
plumber for 40 years.

Besides, before coming out on their mission, the Sanders
rented out their house, and the contract is not up for another nine
months. Where would they live?

A couple of friends emailed the Sanders telling them they
were going to travel to their daughter’s home, that they would be gone up to a
year. The Sanders looked at each
other, smiled, and emailed a message:
do you want renters while you’re gone? The return message began: “The key is in the garage, the truck is ready to go, the
cupboards are pretty empty – do you want our son to shop before you get here?” And because these friends
understand the power of pets during recuperation, they left their border collie
behind, to stay with the Sanders. Miracle #4: check.

Those are not all the miracles, but you get the idea. The Lord takes care of His
missionaries. I believed that
before, but now, with this experience, I have first-hand knowledge. And Elder Sanders is not
surprised. He told us: “Why
shouldn’t we expect miracles?
We’re out here doing what the Lord wants us to do. We’re out here obeying our leaders,
doing our best, and serving the people the way the Lord would serve them, if He
were here. So why should we be
surprised when miracles happen?”

I am grateful for the faith and the faithfulness of those
beside whom I serve. It is hard on
us to see the Sanders leave, but we trust that the Lord will continue to be
mindful of this senior missionary, that his recovery may be complete, that he
will be able to serve in other ways during the rest of his time here on
earth. And our friendship, our
fellowship together, will continue to grow and develop. Our paths may divide, but our hearts
will remain entwined. And we will
continue to expect miracles.

1 comment:

The Lord works in mysterious ways. I love stories like this, where I am reminded that He has everything under control. He will work miracles for your good, even when you have NO CLUE how things could possibly work out. Keep those miracles coming! :)